A Navy Blue Angels pilot died Thursday afternoon after his F/A-18 crashed during a practice air show in Smyrna, Tenn. The pilot was taking off to begin practice when the crash occurred, the Navy said. The other five jets were not involved, and all landed safely. The Navy did not release the name of the pilot Thursday evening, citing next-of-kin notification guidelines. The mishap occurred at 3 p.m. local time, roughly an hour after a Thunderbirds jet crashed in Colorado, within two miles of the air field. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus posted on Facebook that the Navy’s “deepest sympathy” is with the family and friends of the Blue Angels. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson promised the Navy will investigate the accident and prevent anything similar from happening again. And in light of the crash, the Navy said, the Blue Angels will not perform in this weekend’s airshow.
Planning an Air Show Is Hard. At Andrews, It’s Even Harder
Sept. 17, 2025
Joint Base Andrews opened its flightline this month to thousands of civilians, exposing a normally restricted airbase that regularly hosts the president and foreign dignitaries to a curious public eager to see current and historic military aircraft up close and in action.
